VOCABULARY – CINDERELLA MAN

CINDERELLA MAN
“Cinderella Man” is the inspiring true story of James J. Braddock, an American boxer during the 1930s. His
tremendous love for his wife and children enabled him to overcome seemingly overwhelming pain and extraordinary
odds during the height of the Great Depression in order to keep his family together and to put food on the table.
VOCABULARY: what does this 1930’s vocabulary mean in today’s language?
this guy’s a bum -
washed up -
rainmaker’s chance -
boo-birds, booing -
yokels –
dry up -
Emergency Relief Department –
farm out my kids –
no beef with you -
use the angle -
get the lead out -
storm out -
up tempo -
give him the slip -
wearing the pants
suck it up -
run out of real estate -
chump –
impose his will -
unanimous decision –
in the black
hung out to dry -
downtrodden
throw in the towel
sell yourself short –
the table has been set-
get to the main course -
mugging for the crowd
moxie -
cagey –

1. Describe Jimmy Braddock’s life style at the beginning of the movie.
2. What causes the fall of Jimmy Braddock?
3. Why is he kicked out of boxing?
4. What does his son do that Jimmy Braddock told him never to do?
5. Why did his son do this?
6. Make a list of everything that Jimmy Braddock did to get money to feed his
family.
a.
b.
c.
d.
7. Describe Jimmy Braddock’s before and after experience with the Emergency
Relief Department
8. Describe Jimmy Braddock’s friends experience in the Shantytown.
9. How did the community that Jimmy Braddock lived in help each other out
during the Great Depression?
10. Why is Jimmy Braddock called the Cinderella Man?